


It Can't Wait

by Mismatcher111



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Advice, Confessions, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 03:50:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20037445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mismatcher111/pseuds/Mismatcher111
Summary: Dimitri is at a loss. He knows he is in love with Byleth, but wants to wait until there is less chaos to tell her. Each day becomes more painful than the last as he waits to confess his love... but can he wait any longer?Spoilers for Fire Emblem: Three Houses! I adore Dimitri and he only deserves the best in life. I love my edgy son.





	It Can't Wait

Dimitri had told himself he’d wait. He’d wait until this awful war was over, and then he’d tell her. But every time he looked at her, he felt himself looking away in shame at his secrecy… and equally in fear that she would see his red face. Byleth, friendly as she had become over the years, would just wave at him and continue organizing the rest of the day’s activities.

Dimitri loved this side of her, the side that was passionate about him and the rest in the Kingdom. He found it a bit embarrassing that she still treated him as if he were her student, but he somewhat enjoyed her coddling remarks, about how he needed to take better care of himself and how he should sleep more. It was obvious to everyone and their mother that Byleth tended to Dimitri much more than he tended to himself. His ears would go red as if allergic to the snickering of his peers.

Every action she took made his heart swell. He had to frequently excuse himself to catch his breath and calm down, so he would not make himself to be a fool. He had a reputation to uphold. His fists would clench and the leather of the gloves would wear… All because of this awful and disdainful crush. He had noticed this happening after she had quite literally pulled him out of his misanthropistic insanity. Dimitri felt the warmth of her hand, and for the first time in years, cried. She simply comforted him, offering no flowery words that you would hear in a funeral. She just told him the words he needed and wanted to hear for years. “You can atone.”

Perhaps she had known from the start... that he was haunted by a ghost of guilt. The ghost that had been climbing up his back and whispering nefarious nothings in his ear was shaken off for the first time since the Tragedy of Duscur. She had known all along and had finally freed him from that burden for just a day. He was so eternally grateful, and that gratitude mixed with admiration soon evolved into love.

Today, he stood in his room, staring down at his chapped gloves. His introspection left him unaware of his surroundings, causing him to turn around and smash straight into a significantly smaller human being. There was a high pitched shout as the two of them collided and fell, straight into the ground. Dimitri opened his one good eye and his breath hitched as he saw the mint green hair. He stammered before immediately crawling back.

“Dear Seiros, for royalty, you sure are clumsy,” the woman that was on the floor in front of him laughed wryly then stood up, offering out her hand as she did just months ago. “Here. Take my hand.”

He looked away, then stood up with her help.

“Now, why are you in your room all by yourself, Dimitri? I would have thought that you’d be in the Knight’s Room with Dedue.”

“I had matters to attend to-”

“Mhm. You mean staring at your gloves?” Byleth raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. “It is about time that we got those replaced-”

“Were you spying on me?!” His face became a vibrant shade of cherry, and she laughed.

“Perhaps. I was just worried about you. It’s been a while since you’ve isolated yourself like this…” She trailed off, looking down at her shoes. He shared her silence, somewhat awkwardly. He then coughed, bringing his fist to his mouth.

“Trust me, it is nothing like what you may be thinking of. I was just… contemplating the last few months,” He sat down on his bed, looking at the blue rug. “About how everything would have been different if you had not remembered our promise 5 years ago. I would have died a cruel and useless death, my spirit still ruminating on revenge as it did in life. I am… ever in your debt for that.”

“You owe me nothing, Dimitri,” She whispered warmly. She then sat down beside him, lacing her fingers between his. Although the action was surely meant to be comforting, it merely made his breath hitch and his heart race. “I am merely glad to help.”

“Uh- I- Byleth-” His words came out as vague syllables, then he got up. “I must be off, thank you very much for your wise words. I will be sure to… cherish them…”

There was a rapid clanging of metal as he rushed off, leaving Byleth to stare at his cloak with curiosity and confusion. She let out a “hm” and then got up, brushing herself off. She was suddenly aware that something was up with Dimitri… something that was obviously bothering him. She put a finger to her lips, calculating in her head what in Fódlan could be going on, but she grasped no answer.

"I suppose I will just ask around..."

* * *

"Dimitri, are you well?" 

Dimitri gasped and clutched his heart (this was his second scare of the day), turning around to see a pair of verdant eyes staring at him.

"Flayn! Goodness me- What are you doing in the Knight's Room?!"

"I was looking for you. You were absent for the meal Ashe ever so kindly cooked for you," Flayne pouted, a fitting look for her perpetually childlike face. "I will ask again… does something ail you?"

"No, I…"

"You cannot fool me with that nonsense. Your face is as red as a beet and you are sweating enough to fill a river."

Dimitri sighed and pushed himself against the cobblestone wall that made up the room, his hands covering his face to hide the apparent blush.

"Am I really that transparent…? Well… it is Byleth. I'm afraid that I have… _ fallen for her, _" He whispered the last part hoarsely, the words catching in his throat as if he were afraid to admit it himself. 

"Ah! Yes, I know. Everyone knows," Flayn clasped her hands together, a loud slapping noise filling the empty room.

"I know it's surp- wait, what?"

"Are you not aware that it is obvious that you love her?" Flayn cocked her head to the side. "Do not tell me that you did not even know yourself until recently. You have had this puppy love for years."

Dimitri sat agape, looking at the significantly smaller girl with his one eye.

"Honestly, you are hopeless. Sylvain was the one who caught onto it first, you know. Self-centered as he may be, he knows much about the ways of romance. But perhaps he does not know how to keep his mouth shut, telling everyone that you were in love with Byleth-"

Even if he had left his ways of killing behind, he so wished to strangle Sylvain.

"Yes, yes, it is all true…" Dimitri sighed. "I suppose I have been… in love with her for quite some time. I don't believe I can wait any longer with this feeling in my chest. I so wish to tell her… but now is not the best time."

"Hm… I believe she wants to know what ails you, if it helps. These feelings are very valid, and I think she will understand that. And she may even reciprocate. The war, albeit dreadful, cannot suppress these feelings. Of course, you cannot get married until after the war, but there is nothing wrong with sharing your love with the one you hold dear."

"I… you are right Flayn. Byleth would understand… and I need to get these cumbersome feelings off my back. For a child, you are very wise."

"I am very old, I'll have you know-"

"Sure you are. I must be off… to find Byleth!"

He stood up and dashed off, leaving the small woman to shake her head.

"Young love…"

* * *

Dimitri found Byleth standing over Jeralt's grave, a solemn look in her eye. She turned to see him, and smiled ever so kindly. A smile that was mesmerizing to see… he found himself feeling hot again, and almost looked away, but held himself still.

"I contemplate sometimes as well."

Her quiet voice filled the frigid air, as her jacket waved in the wind.

"Stand by me, Dimitri."

He complied, looking at her as well as he could from the corner of his eye. He wished to view her in all her spectacularity, but this would have to do.

"I asked around… and realized this one truth," the words came effortlessly through her lips. He gulped down the air as he waited for her to continue. 

"Seteth told me that you viewed me not as a professor, but as your…"

Hold on, Seteth?

"Archbishop."

There was a pregnant silence and he blinked. He turned and got the view of her he had wanted, yet now all the red from his face was stolen away by her shocking statement. He expected no less from Seteth, but he was even more surprised that his Byleth he so dearly loved had not noticed his affliction.

"No, Byleth, that is not it at all- I suppose you are the Archbishop, or will be, oh what am I saying!"

She raised her eyebrow- Oh, Seiros, he loved it when she did that- Dammit, he's getting flustered again.

"I do not view you that way. I view you as… my beloved! An admirable, lovely, beautiful woman who I wish to spend my entire life with. Someone I wish to smile with when all is said and done," the floodgates started to open as he spewed out his innermost thoughts. "When this war is over, I want to make you my bride, my wife… so I can see your beautiful green eyes beside me every day, and cherish you as you should be cherished. I…"

Her other eyebrow raised to meet its partner and she stared at him silently. He stared back. He finally looked down, from sheer embarrassment, but suddenly he was pulled forward to feel two lips against his own. Byleth's soft lips meshed with his chapped ones, and he could practically taste the chamomile tea she drank every day. He wrapped his arms around her back while she put her hands on his shoulders. They pulled away, astonished and mesmerized at what had just occurred.

"I love you too, Dimitri."

Dimitri softened, pulling her into yet another kiss.

* * *

"Seteth, you told Byleth WHAT?!"

"Flayn, I can explain-"

**Author's Note:**

> Ohhh my god. Okay so I kind of wrote this in a feverish haze because I just finished the game and I have so many feelings about Dimitri, okay? He's just very good and he has made me cry so much. Anyways. H. There may be a few things I didn't get correct, like names of places.


End file.
